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And then he heard the barking.
His chin jerked up as he tried to figure out where the dog was. It sounded huge.
The barking grew louder when the front door flew open and a tall blond woman filled the doorway. “Stop!” she shouted.
“Motherfucker!” Corey yelled from behind him, the van door slamming a second later.
Jace panicked. He lowered the quilt to the grass, trying not to hurt Rick. Then he ran, throwing himself into the van’s driver’s seat and stepping on the gas as a huge black dog filled his rearview.
Tires squealed as they drove away, turning the corner so hard that Jace was surprised the van stayed upright.
Corey was cackling like this was some kind of game. Jace wanted to yell, wanted to scream. Wanted to hit something. Or somebody. But he’d never raise a hand to Corey. Jace was big, but Corey was bigger. And smarter. And way meaner.
“That dog was a monster,” Corey said, once he’d caught his breath.
Jace didn’t laugh. He’d just turned his brother over to the prosecutor to save himself.
I’m the monster.
Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 6:15 P.M.
Standing in the Cardozos’ doorway, Val stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled for Czar, who was already halfway down the street.
“What’s happening? Where is Czar?” Elijah asked from behind her. Val gently pushed him to the right of her so that he was shielded by the wall.
“He’ll come back,” Val said confidently, nevertheless relieved when her dog reappeared at the end of the driveway, his tongue out as he panted hard. “Czar, come!”
Obediently the dog trotted to her side and she opened the door wider to let him in. “Down,” she said quietly, and Czar dropped to his belly with a huge doggy sigh. “Can you get him some water, MaryBeth?”
“Of course,” MaryBeth said.
Jessica was standing behind Elijah, her hands on his shoulders. She’d pulled him farther away from the door.
I’m not the only one who wants to keep him safe. It was a comforting thought.
Kaj, still on the phone with 911, was pale and shaking. But standing protectively in front of his son, his jaw taut. “Who was it?” he asked Val.
“Two men. Ski masks.” Val closed the door and leaned against it. “One of them dropped something big on the lawn. Everyone to the back of the house until the cops can check it out. Stay away from the windows.”
“There’s windows everywhere, Val,” Elijah said, his voice high and terrified.
Goddammit. The poor kid had been through enough.
“I know. We’ll pull the drapes for now, so no one can see in. Sit on the floor with your back to a wall so your head’s not near a window.” She exhaled, her adrenaline spiking. “Find a wall, everyone, and make yourselves comfortable. Elijah, check your blood sugar.”
Kaj guided Elijah to the dining room wall, still talking to the 911 operator as he settled them into a corner. Elijah sat next to him and Kaj put an arm around his son’s shoulders.
Val stood in the kitchen, next to the back door but off to the side. Scanning the backyard, she saw nothing amiss, but she didn’t trust that the men—whoever they were—wouldn’t return. Or that getting them to the back of the house wasn’t their intent. Without looking away from the yard, she pulled her phone from her pocket and used voice commands to dial Burke.
“Val. Is everything—”
“Two men were here,” she interrupted. “Dropped something out front. A rolled-up quilt with a pair of feet sticking out the end. I haven’t approached. It’s either a body or a trap.”
“Fuck,” Burke hissed. “I’m on my way.”
“Kaj is on the line with 911. Can you make sure that André knows what happened?”
